


Of Social Constructs and Other Miscellaneous Half-Truths

by Hesesols



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Karin is all of us when it comes to IR UST, Toshiro and Karin are both good football players, Valentine's Day Shenanigans, best friends to lovers au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-15 09:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hesesols/pseuds/Hesesols
Summary: Karakura High Football Club members and club manager are convinced that their captain and vice-captain have a thing for each other. Vice-captain Karin refuses to hear anything about it, so trust it all to blow upspectacularlyin her face the closer they get to Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Hitsugaya Toushirou/Kurosaki Karin, Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo
Comments: 23
Kudos: 45
Collections: The Seireitei Server Valentine's Writing and Art Challenge 2021





	1. V-Day Minus Two

.

_._

Prompt: "I hate Valentine's Day."

.

.

Valentine's Day is a pointless social construct for the commercialism of chocolate by confectionery makers, for struggling flower shops to stay afloat, for high school girls to be given an excuse to be obnoxiously brave that one day of the year to confess, and boldly take on the role of the leading lady in their own coming-of-age teenage rom-com.

Contrary to popular belief, the last part Karin doesn't particularly mind. Sure the pining, the over-the-top dramatics of a confession and the exaggerated _shoujo_ energy of the holiday isn't exactly her cup of tea but she appreciates honesty and regardless of the outcome, the confession would at least mean an end to the whole angsty 'he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not' bullshit. It is however also true that there is a notable exception to the rule.

"I _hate_ Valentine's Day," Karin mutters under her breath, eyes narrowing at the gaggle of fangirls mooning and swooning at their captain from the stands. She scowls viciously as she tries her best to ignore them.

The self-proclaimed Toshiro Protection Squad/Cheerleaders (or as Karin would like to call them, the Toshiro Stalkers) are at it again!

Karakura High Football Club Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro scowls and glares daggers at the mention of it, hates being teased about it as well, but the fact remains: the ace striker has a fan club and the club members are notorious for the lengths that they would go for him. They attend all his matches (from regular afterschool practices to official interschool matches) with religious fervour and never fail to make an absolute nuisance of themselves to the football team with their antics.

From the organized chanting down to their eye-catching club T-shirts emblazoned with Toshiro's ridiculously attractive face, they are nigh impossible to miss and a fixture to every Karakura High-hosted football match. Valentine's Day is like hooking them on steroids, emboldening them in their advances and bringing out the worst of their over-eagerness.

As if _those_ rabid fangirls need any more encouragement to act out on their teenage fantasies!

It is the last practice match before the big V-day and they are already being more insufferable than usual. She doesn't even know why she is surprised. She can hear their screams and squeals all the way from the _other_ end of the football field. It is just so _annoying,_ not to mention distracting.

"Oi, Kurosaki! Get your head in the game! Don't let the Captain get past you! Eyes on the freaking ball!"

Karin ignores the jibe, resisting the urge to flip her team mate the bird as she redirects her attention back to the game. Right, she should save her aggression for it instead. The second half of their practice match is coming to an end in two minutes. Toshiro's team is leading 2 to 1 but she has a good feeling about the match ending in a tie.

She has already pushed past the two defenders who are still dogging her every step of the way. She snorted. They can try, she thinks but she will score that goal before they catch up to her.

Now if she can just—

She raises her head up in alarm, glaring at the #10 who just showed up on her left.

"Not on my watch, Karin," says Toshiro with a smirk as he goes neck to neck with her.

Toshiro wears his #10 jersey with pride and no one, least of all Karin, would find him undeserving of the title and position as a striker. But on the football field, he never lets anyone forget that he is just as formidable a defender as he is in scoring goals. He has always been quick and his footwork nearly impossible to keep an eye out for. It is impressive how he just covered the distance of half a football field without breaking a sweat.

"Back off, Toshiro!"

Still, that doesn't mean that Karin wouldn't at least try to keep her ball as she pushes past her exhaustion, running full speed ahead towards her destination. The goal post is fully within her sights.

She inhales sharply, clearing her mind, ready to take her shot, but to find that the ball isn't there—

_What the fuck?_

"Toshiro!"

The bastard knocked the ball right out from her! He stole her ball but she doesn't even have time to mull over the loss of control as she takes off, charging after the white-haired Captain.

"Give it back, you bastard!"

"Why should I, Karin?"

The answering smirk on his face is infuriating and Karin is fuming by the time she catches up to him. His teal blue eyes cut into hers as he taunts at her, "It doesn't have your name written on it."

Karin scowls but nevertheless sees through his play. Toshiro is too far away to score any goal himself. He is good but not _that_ good _._ To cross that distance in less than a minute is something she imagines even a pro wouldn't be able to accomplish. The clock is ticking fast and she screams at her team to buckle up on defences and intercept by any means necessary. They can't afford to let the other team get the ball.

The ball goes long, completely bypassing the midfield.

By the time they have all recovered sufficiently from their surprise, Ryohei (the winger on Toshiro's team) is already in possession of the ball. As an attacker, he is nowhere as dynamic or agile as the players on her team, but Toshiro's play makes him shine. With the bulk of their defences still centred on Toshiro, Ryohei makes it through the remaining defenders with surprising ease.

Karin is still running, still trying her best to reach the ball, shouting at Kei to stop that goal.

Ryohei strikes. And for a moment, the football field goes deadly quiet. The atmosphere is tense enough that Karin can feel the drip of perspiration running down her neck.

She tastes salt.

" **GOAL!** "

The ensuing cheers from the crowd are deafening. There is a shrill whistle from the referee just a second later, announcing the end of the second half. The game ends 3 to 1. Toshiro's team wins with the first two goals scored by the Captain himself.

Karin drops to her knees, panting as she tries to catch her breath. Grass stains easily mark her red-white uniform and her knees, but she clenches her fists in them tighter. They were so _close!_

"Thanks for the game, Karin. It was a good one, but better luck next time."

She looks up to see Toshiro extending his hand towards her. His smirk and light teasing is something that she has grown used to by now and she shrugs it off easily, knowing that there is no bite behind it. He got lucky this time, but she will not let him get the better of her every time.

Karin scoffs in reply as she brushes the grass stains off her, "You can count on it. Next practice match, my team is going to wipe the floor with yours, Toshiro."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Loser buys winner dinner."

"Deal!"

Her grin is fierce as she grips his hand tightly in hers and lets him pull her to her feet. Neither of them lets go of the other's hand immediately.

Best friends since middle school, their healthy competition on the field and enduring friendship off it have always been what Karin would like to think as the backbone to their relationship as both the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Football Club. Their relationship works because Karin isn't a stuttering mess of a fangirl when he holds her hand, doesn't so much as blush when he changes in front of her or brings her to his room (it's for homework- you perverts! Get your head out of the gutter!) and gives as good as she gets when it comes to the teasing and the good-natured ribbing.

They are friends, but not like _that._ She is not Ichi-nii with his stupid face-palm-worthy _nakama_ bullshit and _thanks to you, the rain has finally stopped_ spiel when it comes to Rukia-nee. When it comes to pining, there can be no parallel to the so-deep-in-the-eye-smex-the-onlookers-are-choking UST between her college-aged brother and his next door neighbour, whom Karin is willing to bet every single dime she has on her, he is going to end up with— as soon as Ichi-nii womans the fuck up and asks the latter out on a date.

Point is: Karin _knows_ pining and what she has with Toshiro- her study buddy, best friend since forever with whom she sometimes _platonically_ holds hands with, is nowhere _near_ that. There isn't anything _remotely_ romantic about the gesture, she thinks as she forces herself to let go of his hand.

And if she were ever confronted on how she seems to hold her head a little higher, laughs a little louder as they walk past his fan club, leans in a little closer to touch Toshiro on the shoulders or nudge him with her elbows, just so she can flash a smirk and see the jealousy seething in their collective fangirl eyes— well, Karin shrugs.

She never admitted to not being a bitch. Bros before hoes, or so the saying goes.

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit to having doubts but I want to try writing something that is not Ichiruki though by all accounts, mentions of them still manage to slip in. ~~I tried~~ X_X
> 
> By all means, it probably won't be as impressive. But then again who am I trying to impress? xD
> 
> Karin is an Ichiruki fangirl at heart and she is all of us when it comes to the IR UST xD She also have a bit of a potty mouth courtesy of growing up in the presence of a foul-mouthed older brother and a strangely tolerant father.


	2. V-Day Minus One

_._

_._

Prompts: Love letters; _Real_ chocolate?; "It's just a crush."

.

.

"I am thinking of confessing to Toshiro-kun," announces Yuzu during lunch. The school cafeteria is noisy and crowded enough that no one aside from Karin, who is sitting across the table from her, hears it.

The dark-haired twin barely looks up from her half-eaten _katsudon,_ suppressing a snort as she rolls her eyes. Yuzu is lucky enough that none of the Toshiro Stalkers are within hearing range or she would have found herself in danger of death by glaring.

" _Sure,"_ Karin drawls, "just as a heads-up though. Don't even bother writing him a love letter unless you are a 100% sure of your penmanship. He _hates_ illegible writing."

She should know of course. That was the first and last time, Toshiro offered to help her out with her English essay. The boy genius, she remembered vividly, was _appalled_ at her scribbles and poor penmanship.

Yuzu pouts, childishly sticking her tongue out as she whines somewhat dramatically, "Oh you're no fun!"

Karin rolls her eyes, "Stop spending so much time around Goat-Chin. He's a bad influence on you. Besides, what do you want me to say? Me and Toshiro, we're not like that."

"But you can be though. I mean- all the guys on the football team already think you guys are together."

Karin smirks, lightly teasing as she props her chin in her palm, "Oh I didn't know you're _that_ close with any of the football club members."

"Not that it's any of your business," quips Yuzu primly, "but I appreciate that both you and Ichi-nii are overprotective and have my best interest at heart, so to save you the trouble: I've been talking to Aya-chan, who's also in the Baking Club. She thinks that there's definitely something going on between you two. You guys are always the last to leave and everyone knows you two walk home together after practice."

Her eye twitches as she suppresses a heavy groan at the mention of the club manager. Aya needs to stop planting these silly ideas in Yuzu's head. As a second-year who took on the role of club manager when their _senpai_ graduated last year, Karin has nothing against her. Aya is good at her job and a good friend- almost a godsend on the days when the levels of male ego and stupidity in the club become a little too much for her patience.

The only thing Karin has against the bespectacled girl is how stubborn Aya can be when it comes to the nature of her relationship with Toshiro. No matter how many times both of them have called her out on the fact that their relationship is strictly platonic, Aya is a firm believer in the inherent romanticism of their bond, convinced that the so-called 'HitsuKarin' ship will set sail. Honestly, Karin swears that her club members are the absolute worst when it comes to these baseless gossips.

"That's because we live in the same neighbourhood and he's my captain! I can't just leave him behind to sort out the game plays and coordinate the practice drills on his own!"

"What about the 'dates' you two go on after the practice matches, hmm?" Yuzu presses on, diving in for the kill, "It's always just the two of you- _**together**_. Aya-chan says that the guys on the team call it your post-victory celebration because no matter what happens on the field, you're both winners at the end of the day."

The _katsudon_ is only half-finished, but her appetite is ruined. Karin scoffs, crossing her arms, "You guys are delusional."

She doesn't even try to explain the long-standing tradition between her and Toshiro. For one, people just won't get it and would probably just twist it to suit their own narrative about what goes on between them; and also, it's personal. What she and Toshiro do in their own free time to relax and chill, mostly to pig out on deserts (he may not look like it but the boy has a _crippling_ weakness for _amatou_ pastries), sip milkshakes in _their_ booth and go over the match highlights- well, it is no one's business but their own!

Her twin shrugs but before anyone can say anything else, the school bell rings, signalling the end of lunch. Yuzu is the first to leave as she picks up after herself and clears the table.

Karin clenches her fists at her utensils, cleaning up after herself with deliberate slowness just so she can avoid walking back to class with her twin. She is annoyed at Yuzu for opening that can of worms.

College, the future, the Nationals— they are all very daunting thoughts and Karin doesn't want to slow down to start thinking, to accept the fact that sooner or later, things are going to change between them. This is their last year together- Toshiro and Karin, the unbeatable duo on the Karakura football field. With graduation looming just around the corner, she knows it's only a matter of time before they have that serious conversation about what they intend to do after high school.

Will they go to the same college?

What will she major in?

Will he go pro?

Will their friendship be strong enough to withstand these changes?

The last question is one that Karin doesn't have the answer to, though her heart desperately yearns for it to be resounding 'yes'.

.

.

.

The club room is always rowdy what with the level of testosterone in the air and teenage hormones ripe in the air, but the club members just seem livelier than usual today. Karin chalks it up to yet another far-reaching effect of the dreaded V-day.

She is watching the match between Mashiba High and Sakurabashi Tech High. They will be facing up against Mashiba High during the next interschool match. Karin knows that her chances of actually standing on the field to play on the official day of the match are slim to none but she doesn't shirk out of her vice-captain duties just because of that.

The three of them- Aya, Toshiro and herself are watching the recorded game on the monitor, analysing the game plays and coming up with the best way to counter them. Aya is making notes, diligently scribbling away on paper while Toshiro keeps his eagle eyes sharp and focused on the screen. Karin is the one who is seated the furthest away. There is only a thin sliding door that separates them from the boy's locker room and her keen ears couldn't help but overhear bits of conversations coming from the other side.

.

"…You're just jealous!"

A scoff, then—

"Kei, stop kidding yourself! _Real_ chocolate? You'll be lucky just to get some _giri choco_ from Yuzu-chan tomorrow. _Honmei choco_ is really just pushing your luck."

"Why you—"

.

Toshiro's touch is colder than she realizes as he taps her on her shoulder, interrupting her from her eavesdropping. Karin's eyes snap to his, suddenly conscious of the way he is standing so close to her, conscious of how his eyes are more green than blue under the light, that there is a barely noticeable scar that skims just slightly above his left eyebrow- an accident on the swing when he was younger, she remembers.

Yes Karin has always known that her best friend is ridiculously and objectively attractive if the existence of a fan club is any indication at all, but how is it that this is the very moment in time when her brain finally decides to put two and two together? The pieces seem to finally click in her head: that she likes his soft smiles the best when he is pretending to be annoyed at her, that his palms have always fitted so nicely between her hands, and that she is happiest when she is walking home with him at the end of the day- their time alone, uninterrupted from anyone else.

He must have mistaken her stunned silence as concern for her twin as his lips curl into a frown.

"It's just a crush," he tells her, his voice low and pleasant in her ears, "Kei gets one on every girl that gifts him _giri choco_ the year before."

"I know."

Karin rolls her eyes. Yuzu is too sweet for her own good, but she doesn't worry about any of the boys making a move on her sister. They are cowards and a little too well-acquainted with her protective streak and her powerful kicks. Even if by some miracle, they manage to pluck up enough courage to stand up against her, well they haven't met Ichigo yet but they should know him by reputation alone. The oldest Kurosaki sibling is _scary_ to even the most fearless of neighbourhood high school delinquents. That should act as deterrent enough.

The sound of paper scrunching surprises Karin. She turns to see Aya staring at the two of them with something akin to adoration in her eyes. She beams at them like a proud mama bear, her lips pressed so firmly together with barely-contained glee while her notes are scrunched up so tightly in her fists that Karin is surprised that they haven't been ripped to shreds. The manager is horrified at her faux pas and is more than annoyed with herself as she mutters angrily, "that was so close! I didn't even get to take a picture!"

They both stiffen at the reminder that they are not the only ones there and predictably turn a little pink in the face at being caught though Karin's mind is just as quick to ask _why_ she is embarrassed. Toshiro clears his throat before he takes his seat again and the video resumes playing.

There is the same innocuous scratch of pen against paper from Aya again though Karin is studiously avoiding the other girl's eyes under the guise of paying rapt attention to what is on the screen instead. She resolves to put this incident behind her and keep herself focused on what really matters instead: the semi-final match between Karakura High and Mashiba High that is supposed to take place next week. The winner of the match is one step closer to representing their district and Naruki City for the Nationals in Tokyo.

It is something that both she and Toshiro have dedicated their high school years into and regardless of whether or not she gets the chance to play on the field; she relishes the chance to stand with her team mates, to be a part of a team.

Karin loves the game too much to ever be apart from it and she knows it's the same for Toshiro. He has it in him to go pro and she fervently wishes that the scouts do their job properly throughout the competition because Toshiro deserves it. Regardless of what happens afterwards, whether they continue playing football after they graduate high school, or if they go to the same college, these memories are here to stay and she wants only the best for him.

She sneaks a final glance at Toshiro before quieting her mind. She picks up a pen and paper as she jots down notes, occasionally asking Aya to pause and rewind the video. They discuss possible game plays, defense formations and attack strategies; their conversations focused solely on football and nothing else.

But Karin leaves early that day, leaving Aya and Toshiro behind to lock up under the pretence of attending a family dinner because Ichi-nii is visiting them from Tokyo. Her heart is heavy, but heavier still is the absence of Toshiro as she wanders home by herself. She shuts the front door with a heavy bang and doesn't even bother greeting any of her family members before making a beeline for the bedroom she shares with Yuzu.

" _It's just a crush."_

Toshiro's words from the afternoon haunt her. Karin smothers a silent scream in her pillow as she thrashes on her bed, annoyed that she has become the one thing that she abhors the most. She has become the teenage drama queen in her own angst-ridden unrequited love drama.

And that's just the worst; because now, she can't even make fun of Ichi-nii when he does his lovelorn pining. Hindsight is as always, 20/20 and Valentine's Day is tomorrow. She groans.

Fan- _fucking-_ tastic!

.

.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! One more chapter to go. XD


	3. V-Day

_._

_._

Prompts: Memories; "Did you just kiss me?"; Slow dancing

.

.

"Karin, hurry up! We're going to be late!"

" _For the love of God,_ Yuzu-I told you I'm coming! Quit your whining! You can go first if you're in such a hurry!"

Her snappish reply earns her a quirked eyebrow from their brother still seated at the breakfast table while Yuzu slams the door in her face, the sound of her footsteps drifting further and further away as she makes a head start on the journey to school alone that morning.

Karin swears as she stomps her way down the stairs noisily. Her mood is sour and the scowl on her face is deep enough that even Ichigo becomes mildly concerned as he looks up from his coffee.

"What's gotten into _you_?" he asks.

Karin is sarcastic and definitely not a morning person. In their household, that distinction belongs to Yuzu and Yuzu only. But this is not typical-Karin behaviour. She is not grouchy enough to snap at anyone, least of all Yuzu, out of the blue and without provocation. There is definitely something else going on here and his big brother senses are ever so keen to find out about the truth.

"I am _fine!_ " she growls as she finishes the last mouthful of rice, chewing and swallowing in between, "I just didn't sleep well."

 _Huh!_ , thinks Ichigo; _that_ would be an understatement. It looks like she barely slept at all. She seems paler somehow. Her eyes are red and puffy and there are dark circles under them.

Ichigo frowns. "Maybe you should take the day off," he suggests, "You really don't look too good. I'm sure Goat-Chin will understand and write you a sick note."

But Karin shrugs off his concern, insisting that she will be fine. She downs the last of her _miso_ soup in a gulp and hurriedly puts on her shoes. She takes off after her sister, picking up speed after making a sharp turn at the corner shop. She grits her teeth tight and grips at the straps of her bag even tighter. Karin Kurosaki is a lot of things but she is not a coward. She isn't about to skip school just because she stayed up too late last night, sorting out her feelings for Toshiro.

.

.

She gets a stern talking-to from the disciplinary teacher for arriving late. She thinks she might have exhausted all her good patience for the day from how hard she was biting the inside of her cheeks to refrain from pointing out that she stepped foot inside the school compound _just as the school bell rings._ But Karin knows the futility of arguing against a teacher, so she clamps her mouth shut and starts tuning him out instead.

The rest of the day only gets progressively nauseating for her. Yuzu forgives her by the end of second period but the situation in class is just stomach-churning with the amount of _chocolate_ and _giddy giggles_ that surround her. The nervous energy in the classroom overwhelms her despite her best attempts to keep her mind still and quiet.

She is restless by lunch time. She fidgets in her seat. Her fingers are drumming against the table top, her feet are itching to take off somewhere and she doesn't even feel hungry. She is barely paying attention to what the teachers are saying during class and her eyes are fixed solely on the hands of the clock, willing them to go faster, so she can just pack up and go home and put this day behind her.

If someone even _mentions_ the word 'chocolate' to her—

"Do you think that Toshiro-kun will like the chocolates I made for him?"

_That's it!_

Her face feels warm and there is a loud hammering in her chest that just wouldn't switch off. Why should she care if Toshiro gets any _honmei choco_ from his fan girls and what he does with them?

This is just so _stupid!_ And she is nothing like that. She is nothing like the girls with a crush on him, who can't look him in the eye without blushing or those stalkers who giggle like simpering idiots just because he said hi to them. This just isn't her!

She pushes her chair back so loudly that she made Yuzu jump but Karin is beyond caring as she takes off towards the clubroom.

"Karin!" Yuzu shouts, her voice ringing a little shriller than usual, "where are you going? Class starts in five!"

"Forget it! I'm skipping!"

.

.

It's a good thing that she always keeps the spare key to the clubroom on her. As the door handle twists open, Karin slinks into the dark room and shuts the door behind her. The curtains are drawn but not tight enough as slivers of sunlight peek through them. She navigates her way into her favourite seat with the faint light.

She sighs in relief as the sofa sinks under her weight. The cushion underneath her is well-worn and nearly threadbare but Karin loves it all the same. February air is still mildly chilly but her perch is comfortable enough as she draws the throw over her to cover her legs. The wall in front of her has Polaroid pictures stuck to it and Karin is smiling wistfully as she looks at them. There are pictures of her and the club members in their uniforms posing for their school photos, the boys posing with what they deemed was their coolest game face during the summer training camp, a picture of her and Aya together in their _yukata_ , and then finally, Toshiro and her in what many would think of as a makeshift hug.

The timing was impeccable. Aya-chan captured the moment she tackled Toshiro as he stepped down from the podium and rendered the exuberance- the sheer joy and happiness they mirrored on each other's faces permanent in the photo.

.

Second runner-up in the Nationals is nothing to scoff at and she felt the same joy and pride radiating from her best friend. The smile Toshiro gave her was soft, but quickly gave way to shock and surprise as he was caught off guard by the tackling.

He grunted as they collided, her weight settling on him. She ignored the eye-rolling, drowned out his annoyed drawl of ' _Karin!_ ' with her exuberant chant of ' _We won! We won!',_ repeating it like a mantra until the truth of the moment sank in for both of them.

She sensed his hesitance- a rare tremor to his hands before he let out a long-suffering sigh. She thought Toshiro was going to push her away, being uncomfortable with the public display of affection. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her while cradling the trophy against his chest with the other.

" _Ah."_

Karin remembered feeling incredibly giddy then. She had her arms looped around his neck, holding on to him tightly, feeling so happy that she could _almost_ kisshim.

_Why didn't she kiss him?_

_._

Karin jerks her head up, her thoughts derailed by the sudden creak of the door as the handle twists open. The sudden brightness makes her wince as she huddles at the back corners of the dark and cool room.

Her lips twitch, turning into a half-frown as she narrows her eyes at the newcomer. Sunlight streams behind him, nearly blinding her as she turns to face him. His green eyes have never been more bewitching and she tries hard to disguise the hitch in her breath when they meet hers.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Toshiro shrugs as he closes the door behind him. "Yuzu said you needed help."

Karin can feel her eye twitching. Yuzu and her big mouth! Her twin really just doesn't know when to stop. She crosses her arms instead, "I never thought I'd live to see the day you ditch class. Are you sure that it's Valentine's today and not Friday the 13th or something? What happened to 'I-am-a-stickler-for-rules' Toshiro?"

He makes his way to her slowly, guided by the faint light from behind the drawn curtains just as she had. Karin tells herself that she feels nothing at the sight of his approach, feels nothing even as he stops right in front of her, his touch warm and familiar as he nudges at her to scoot over so he can take the seat next to her.

"Kurosaki Karin is a bad influence," he mutters dryly with a roll of his eyes. The sofa dips a little lower under their combined weight. Their fingers brush as he grabs a handful of her throw and drapes it over himself.

She gulps at the close proximity between them as he sidles close. They are almost touching like this, sharing the same throw, knees almost touching. She hates how her heart does a somersault. Her face feels warm but she hides it well in the dark. Toshiro is close enough that she can hear his exhales, feel the warmth of his body right next to hers. It would have been so easy for her hands to cover his, to lace their fingers together and just stay like that.

" _So…_ do you want to tell me what's bothering you? Yuzu was frantic when she came looking for me. It's not like you to cut class either, you know."

Karin purses her lips, feeling ashamed that she has caused Yuzu to worry. "I-I don't want to talk about it."

"Ok."

The lull in conversation between them does not feel awkward or strained. It would have been easy- so _stupidly_ easy for her to just keep her mouth shut and let the silence stretch. Why fill the air space between them with unnecessary noise when just the sound of their quiet breathing, so close to each other is enough to drown out the world?

But Karin lets her curiosity get the better of her this time— if only to stop her fingers from inching towards his.

"Hey Toshiro, what do you do with the chocolates you get on Valentine's Day?"

Toshiro quirks an eyebrow at her, frowning as he said, "That's … pretty random coming from you Karin. Are you sure you're ok?"

"J-Just answer the question!"

A heavy exasperated sigh is heard and Karin clicks her tongue, pointedly looking away. She quickly becomes aware of how weird and out-of-character her question sounds. Why is she like this? She should have just kept her mouth shut!

"Forget I asked! It's stupid anyway- I mean—"

"I give them to Rangiku."

"What?"

Her eyes widen in disbelief as she stares at Toshiro. She knows him and his sweet tooth a little too well. Toshiro is the sort of person who would have an extra stomach just for dessert and while he may look like the cool beauty sort, his weakness for something sweet is undeniable. He is just as bad as Ichi-nii when it comes to chocolates!

"A-All of them?" she asks.

This time he is the one avoiding her gaze. There is a suspicious pink tinge to his cheeks when he grudgingly nods. Karin is bewildered by the idea that he would give all of them up for his adopted older sister. Loud, flirtatious and boisterous to a fault, Rangiku is everything that Toshiro is not. Karin knows that the siblings care for each other, but they tend to express their affections somewhat indirectly or in most cases, by exchanging tongue-in-cheek insults or jokes- usually at Toshiro's expense. Her best friend has no chill and that only makes it easier for Rangiku to ruffle his feathers.

"Why?" she breathes, "Don't lie. You like sweet things."

"Maybe because I- _ahem—_ I mean," he clears his throat, "T-They're too sweet for me."

"Oh?" Karin snorts, "Well I am glad I never gave you any chocolates. All those _giri choco_ would have just ended up in Rangiku-san's stomach. I mea—"

"I would have kept yours though."

The sudden interruption from Toshiro takes Karin by surprise, but the set in his jaw is determined as he heaves a shaky breath before continuing softly, huddling closer as if to share a deadly secret with her, "I would have kept all of the chocolates you gave me. I- I would have loved them more if they weren't _giri choco_ though."

Strong hands cup at her jaw and her mind goes intelligently blank at the press of his lips against hers.

_Oh!_

He brushes his lips against hers so softly that she barely felt it the first time. The kiss is delicate and chaste, nothing more than an innocent peck on the lips and far from scandalous, but her face burns all the same. Toshiro has always carried himself so confidently. Even when he was the smallest kid on the middle school football team, he didn't back down when the playing got rough, pushed back when the others shoved until they got the message that he was there to stay. It makes the moment endearing- to see him being so tentative and shy with her.

Her lips tingle from the sudden contact. She presses her fingers to them- a giddy rush of emotions and adrenaline that makes her tongue thick and stupid. When she speaks, her voice rings an octave higher than normal, "Did you just kiss me?"

"Y-Yeah."

Karin's grin unfurls. It is a little silly perhaps. Falling in love with your childhood best friend is a bit of a cliché after all and high school romances are not the sort of things you would expect to last. But Karin has a good feeling that they will beat the odds. They make a good team, always have.

There are still so many things they need to talk about of course, starting with the changes in their relationship, what they want to do after high school is another; but with Toshiro here with her, she feels settled. Somehow she thinks that she already knows the answers to most of the questions. Her seniors used to chide at her, telling her that the Nationals were a dream; that girls can't play on football team in official matches. Karin snorts. Well, the joke is on them because guess who made it to the Nationals last year and who was in the starting line-up as they faced off against the Champions in the Nationals last year? With Toshiro, Karin knows that anything is possible. And with the two of them together, victory is inevitable.

"Promise me when we win the Nationals this year, you'll take me slow dancing?"

Her hand finally found his under the cover and she laces their fingers together. He squeezes hers back in response and Karin's smile stretches from ear to ear. Her heart feels light enough that she is in danger of floating away.

"Deal."

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_The End._

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End file.
